Find in Library

Adaptation to unfavorable abiotic stresses is one of the key processes in the evolution of plants. Calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling is characterized by the spatiotemporal pattern of Ca²⁺ distribution and the activities of multi-domain proteins in integrating environmental stimuli and cellular responses, which are crucial early events in abiotic stress responses in plants. However, a comprehensive summary and explanation for evolutionary and functional synergies in Ca²⁺ signaling remains elusive in green plants. We review mechanisms of Ca²⁺ membrane transporters and intracellular Ca²⁺ sensors with evolutionary imprinting and structural clues. These may provide molecular and bioinformatics insights for the functional analysis of some non-model species in the evolutionarily important green plant lineages. We summarize the chronological order, spatial location, and characteristics of Ca²⁺ functional proteins. Furthermore, we highlight the integral functions of calcium-signaling components in various nodes of the Ca²⁺ signaling pathway through conserved or variant evolutionary processes. These ultimately bridge the Ca²⁺ cascade reactions into regulatory networks, particularly in the hormonal signaling pathways. In summary, this review provides new perspectives towards a better understanding of the evolution, interaction and integration of Ca²⁺ signaling components in green plants, which is likely to benefit future research in agriculture, evolutionary biology, ecology and the environment.